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Daeryun “Securing global legal service competitiveness”… Interview with Kim Kuk-il and Go Byeong-jun, CEO of Management

Media 3 places including Jose Ilbo

2024-10-30

대륜 "글로벌 법률서비스 경쟁력 확보"…김국일·고병준 경영총괄대표 인터뷰

“Daeryun Law Firm’s new goal is to grow into one of the world’s leading global law firms.” (Kim Kook-il, CEO of Management)

Recently, Daeryun appointed lawyers Kim Kuk-il and Ko Byeong-jun as general management representatives. This is to effectively manage the rapidly changing management system and strengthen strategic decision-making as the company grows.

Daeryun, established in 2018, has achieved rapid growth in six years and has established itself as a large law firm with over 240 lawyers as of October 2024. Daeryun is not satisfied with this and plans to move forward toward a new goal.

After taking office, the two representatives took the first step to strengthen corporate legal affairs. We are providing more efficient legal services by dividing the existing corporate legal group by field and operating it as a center.

We are also accelerating our overseas expansion. It took its first step toward becoming a global law firm by signing a business agreement with Verivest, a large Japanese law firm, and preparing to open an office in Japan.

While competition in the law firm industry is becoming more intense, Daeryun is securing competitiveness through constant development and challenges.

Below is the full interview provided by Daeryun.

Q. How do you feel about being newly appointed as Daeryun’s general management representative?

CEO Kook-il Kim (hereinafter referred to as Kim): I am happy, but my shoulders are heavy. Leading Daeryun's large number of lawyers, employees, and others is not an easy task. Therefore, although there is a lot of burden, I will do my best to operate Daeryun with the expectation that it will grow further in the future.

CEO Go Byeong-jun (hereinafter referred to as Go): I also feel a heavy sense of responsibility. We will strive to provide better services while maintaining Daeryun's rapid growth and expanded global infrastructure.

Q. Among Daeryun’s many moves this year, what stood out was ‘overseas expansion.’ First, last August, you took your first step by signing a business agreement with Veribest, a large Japanese law firm. Is there a special reason why you chose Japan as your first country for overseas expansion?

Kim: Japan is a country that is easy to approach from both economic and legal aspects. There are many Korean companies that have expanded into Japan, and there are also many Japanese companies that are doing business in Korea. Considering Korean residents living in Japan and Japanese citizens, it can be said that this is the area where the demand for law is the highest.

Ko: Japan is also the country with the most similar legal system to our country. Therefore, I believe that Japan is the most suitable international stage to test the ‘popularization of legal consultation’ and ‘high-end legal services’ that Daeryun pursues. So we chose Japan as our first overseas expansion country.

Q. What is the current status of your business in Japan and what role do you expect Daeryun to play in Japan?

Kim: An office and residence in Japan have been set up. Recruitment notices for Japanese people are also being advertised, and some lawyers have already applied. An interview will be held in Japan soon. The Japanese office will play a role in responding to all areas, including legal services needed by Japanese companies and citizens, Korean companies operating in Japan, and Korean residents in Japan.

Ko: Regarding corporate legal affairs, we plan to provide legal support and advice to local companies and multinational companies in Japan. In particular, as global legal demand is growing even in Japan, we expect to be able to provide legal services in a variety of fields.

Q. Aside from Japan, are there any other countries you are considering expanding into? What is your ultimate goal regarding overseas expansion?

Kim: We have begun work to expand into New York, USA. We are in the process of searching for and contacting American law firms and law firms that can collaborate with us. Although we began our expansion into Japan first, we will continue to expand into the United States.

Go: The ultimate goal of overseas expansion is to build a global infrastructure and provide the best service to customers who need Daeryun's legal services in any country.

Q. Recent steps to strengthen corporate legal affairs are noteworthy. The centers within the corporate legal group have been subdivided into several, and I am curious as to whether there is a reason for this and how it is operated.

Kim: It is for the convenience of companies. Looking at the corporate legal group alone, it is difficult to understand what kind of work this group handles. By looking at the center name, company officials can easily understand related tasks. Each center is maximizing synergy effects based on its strengths. Therefore, we are able to provide professional legal services for a variety of cases.

Goh: The centers within the corporate legal group are divided based on their respective expertise to provide prompt and accurate legal advice. We are operating with a strategy to provide customized services to customers through this segmented system.

Q. This year, you became a hot topic by taking on a number of cases related to companies that became social issues, such as Timeef and Gallery K. What are your thoughts on this?

Kim: The fact that Daeryun is in charge of the Timef and Gallery K cases can be seen as a means of securing popularity. We expect that Daeryun will become more known to customers and will be able to handle various hot issues in the future.

Go: I think it is a good opportunity to show Daeryun’s capabilities. These cases are receiving great social attention, and Daeryun is doing its best to resolve related cases. It is actually showing results. The case is progressing according to legal procedures, with the goal of final resolution.

Q. Daeryun has been growing rapidly since it first opened in 2018. What do you think is the key?

Kim: It’s a quick response. Daeryun's representatives hold daily meetings to monitor customer satisfaction and employee trends. Through this, I believe that quickly presenting and implementing solutions to problems is another driving force behind Daeryun's growth.

Go: Along with this, an important key to Daeryun’s growth is customer-centered thinking. Based on this, the popularization of legal counseling was realized. We made it easy for anyone to visit a lawyer and receive consultation. In addition, by providing differentiated high-quality legal services, we have realized 'convenient consultation and high-quality legal services'.

Q. Can the first large law firm to operate a customer satisfaction center be seen as having a similar purpose?

Kim: That’s right. Complaints about other law firms that are proactive only when appointing a lawyer and respond poorly thereafter are being reported through the media. Daeryun is also most worried about this. We take the lead in managing complaints before customers file complaints, and even if complaints do arise, we strive to identify the cause and respond quickly before they escalate.

Go: The first principle of Daeryun management is customer-centered thinking. The most necessary thing to implement this is communication with customers. Therefore, we launched a customer satisfaction center that no law firm had attempted before, began direct communication, and are receiving feedback on legal services.

Q. What are Daeryun’s goals and direction going forward?

Kim: Our goal is to grow into a global law firm that ranks Daeryun in all countries, including Daeryun Japan and Daeryun America. To achieve this, it will be necessary to localize the law firm, systematize it to build a system suitable for the local area, and finally, nurture talent. Through this, we will help Daeryun’s legal professionals adapt quickly to the local environment.

Goh: Daeryun’s goal is to grow into a global leader law firm. We are preparing to become a global law firm that leads the global legal service culture beyond the domestic market. We are not satisfied with our current growth, and our goal is to grow into a company that does not lag behind in competition with the world's leading law firms.